Combined toilet seat and infant&#39;s seat



Nov. 2, 1954 G. E. THIMMES ETAL 2,692,992

I COMBINED TOILET SEAT AND INFANTS SEAT Filed July 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Shet1 s I J/ INVENTORS S 62 GEORGE E. 'rmmass /0 momma u. RADL ATTORNEK.

Nov. 2, 1954 G. E. THIMMES ETAL COMBINED TOILET saw AND mums SEAT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1952 INVENTORS GEORGE E. n-mmes J RICHARDM. RADL Uit tatcs Patent CGMEENED T011. T SEAT AND INFANTS SEAT GeorgeE. Thimines, Mechanicsville, and Richard M. Radl, Lisbon, IowaApplication duly 7, 1952, F-erial No. 297,448

2 Claims. (Ci. 4-4235) This invention appertains to toilet seat coversand seats and more particuiarly to auxiliary seats for infants use thatare connected to a seat and cover of conventional size.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a toilet seat cover,which carries an auxiliary seat, adapted to be used by children, andwhich is normally nested within the cover in a manner whereby it doesnot interfere with the normal function of the cover and is connected tothe cover in a manner so that it can be moved to an operative positionfor coaction with the regular toilet seat.

A further object is to provide an auxiliary seat that is adapted to restflat on a regular cover without defacing it and is carried by the coverin a manner to be flush with the surface of the cover when not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toilet seat cover,which is constructed to house an auxiliary toilet seat, deflector andguard rail, which nest in planar relation within the cover and which canbe moved to an assembled position, seated on the regular toilet seat, ina convenient and speedy manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cornpact auxiliaryseat for infants use, which is adapted to nest in recesses in the seatcover in a manner so that the components of the auxiliary seat will lieflush with the surface of the cover and in a manner so that it isprevented from becoming accidentally dislodged from the cover.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit areattained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is setforth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the seat, cover and auxiliary seat ofthe instant invention, showing the auxiliary seat in a nested positionwithin the cover;

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view, illustrating the auxiliary seatin a position for use, resting on the regular seat and supported by itscarrier components;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 ofFigure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the deflector plate;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure2; and,

Figaire 8 is a plan view of the inside of the deflector plate.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, numerals1t) and 12 respectively designate a conventional toilet bowl and flushtank. A transversely extending supporting bar 14 is secured to the bowland pivotally supports a toilet seat 16 of an adult size. The toiletseat 16 is channel shaped in cross-section, as illustrated in Figure 3,and is a comparatively thin section of plastic material, wood orsuitable metals. The toilet seat 16 is rigidifled by ribs 18 which arespaced circumferentially on the underside of the seat and extend fromthe inner flange to the outer flange. The ribs 18 grouped at the frontend of the seat are provided with depending bosses 20, on which rubberbumpers or feet 22 are fixed. The feet space the ribs and seat slightlyabove the bowl, as seen in Figures 3 and 6, and serve as protectors forthe seat, when it is in a seated position on the bowl.

2,692,992 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 The seat is formed at its straight rearend 24 with a pair of spaced, projecting straps that are bent to formknuckles or loops 26, which are rotatably mounted on the supporting baror pintle 14.

A cover 23, which may be made of a plastic material, wood or suitablemetals, is formed with knuckles or hinge straps which are operativelyengaged with the supporting bar 14. The opposite end portions of the bar14 are threaded for the reception of nuts 32, which 10- cate the hingestraps and knuckles on the bar and prevent lateral movement of the seatcover. The cover is provided on the underside of its sides and arcuatefront end with ribs 34 that space the cover slightly above the seat 16,when the cover is in a closed position, thus insuring adequate aircirculation between the cover and seat.

The cover is formed on its underside or inner face with a substantiallyoval shaped recess or depression 36, which is provided to receive andhouse an auxiliary or supplemental seat 38. The supplemental seat 33 issubstantially oval shaped and has an opening or cut-out portion formedat its front end. A strap 42 extends rearwardly from the inner closedend of the seat 38 and terminates in a hinge knuckle 44 that is disposedon the center of the bar 14. A groove 46 is formed in the cover toprovide a pocket for housing strap 42, the groove communicating with therecess or depression 36.

A raised substantially oval shaped center portion 43 is defined on theinner face or underside of the cover 28 by the recess 36 and is adaptedto fit within the opening 50 in the seat 38, when the seat is nested inthe recess 36.

A LE-shaped guard rail 52 is provided and slots 54 and 56 are formed inthe underside of the cover 28 tangentially to the recess 36 to house theinner ends of the sides of the guard rail.

As seen in Figure 7, the inner ends of the guard rails are pivotallymounted on pintles 58, which extend transversely across the slots 54 and5 6 and have their ends anchored in the cover 28 on opposite sides ofthe slots.

A deflector plate 60 is provided and is formed with substantiallyrectangular upper and lower ends 62 and 64 and an enlarged centersection 66. The ends 62 and 64 of the deflector plate 60 are providedwith pintles 68 which project beyond the sides of the ends and aresuitably secured to the closed end of the guard rail 52 and the frontend of the auxiliary seat 38, whereby the seat and guard rail rotatetogether as a unit from a collapsed position in the cover 28 to an openposition, resting on the seat 16. The closed, forward end of the guardrail 52 is formed on its inner periphery with a rectangular opening 7%to receive the upper end 62 of the center section 66, with the ends ofthe pintles 63 carried by the end 62 of the plate 613, being mounted inopenings formed in the bounding end walls of the openings 70. Thecut-out 4%! in the seat 38 converges inwardly and is defined bystraight, parallel walls 72, between which the lower end 64 of the plate60 is mounted. It will be noted that the end 64 of the plate 60, when ina vertical position, as seen in Figure 2, extends downwardlyapproximately midway between the upper and lower faces of the seat 16.

A rectangular cut-out 74 is formed in one end of the center portion 48to receive the lower end 64 of the deflector plate, as illustrated inFigure 1. It will be noted, with respect to Figure 1, that the seat 38,deflector plate 60 and guard rail 52 are of a height equal to the depthof the depression or recess 36, so that these components are housedwithin the recess 36, slots 54 and 56 and groove 46 in a manner so thatthey are flush with the underside or inner face of the cover 28.Therefore, the deflector 69*, seat 38 and guard rail 52 do not projectbeyond the surface of the underside of the cover 28 and consequentlyoffer no obstruction to the use of the cover 28 as a back rest or to thenormal use of the cover 28 as a closure member.

A. spring clip 76 is secured by a pin 78 to the underside of the cover28 and overlies the closed end of the guard rail and a portion of theupper end 62 of the deflector 60. The clip locks the auxiliary seat 38,deflector 60 and guard rail 52 in a nested position within the recess 36and the associated opening 46 and slots 54 and 56. Thus, the clip holdsthe auxiliary seat and its components in a nested=positionwithin-thecover 28, so that the auxiliary seat" cannot become accidentallydislodged; when the seat 16 is being used.

The pintles 68 for the deflector 60 are preferably molded'asinsertsin'the ends ofthe deflector. They are then assembled as pressed fitsinto sockets (not shown) in the seat-33 at the walls 72 and in-the guardrail 52 of the wall 70. A heat-pressure crimp can be used to close thesockets securely over the shafts.

As illustrated in Figure 8,- the deflector 60 has its inner face 82formed with a marginal-flange or curb 84. The I flange or curb 84extends along the sides of the plate 60 and along the top thereof. Theflange or curb 84- serves as a guard wall for the sides and top of thedeflector plate.

Theauxiliary seat 38 and its components, the guardrail 52 and deflector60, are normally nested-within the recess 36 in; the cover 28' and heldinplace-by the latch clip 76. The cover can thenfunction in a normalmanner, the nested parts oifering no obstruction to such use;

When it is desired to place an infant on the seat 38, theclip 76 ismoved to permit the auxiliary seat 38 to pivot downwardly about the bar14, as its knuckle 44 rotates around on the bar. Simultaneously, thefree ends of the guard rail 52 will pivot about their pintles 58 and thedeflector 60 will pivot at its upper and lower ends into a positionperpendicular to the horizontally disposed seat 38 and guard rail 52'.The seat, supported by the adult seat 16, will maintain the guard railin a horizontal position through the vertical deflector 60. A child canbe lifted through the guardrail with his legs underlying the rail andresting on. the seat 38. The guard rail-52 will prevent the child fromcrawling off the seat 38.

It will be noted that the center portion 43 fits snugly within theopening in the auxiliary seat 38 when the seat is disposed in therecessv 36 and that the guard rail takes up the space between the coverand bounding walls of the recess with the deflector 60v lying snugly inthe recess and the strap 42 lying snugly in the pocket 46. Thus, all ofthe parts are held tightly together against lateral movement, and mostimportant, there are no openings in the underside of the cover when theseat 38 and its adjuncts are in the recess 36, such openings causingaccidents to persons using the seat 16 or offering the possibility ofaccidentally breaking the exposed side edges of the seat 38. or itsadjuncts.

Although we have disclosed herein the best forms of the invention knownto us at this time, we reserve the rightto all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A toilet seat unit for a toilet bowl having an adult seat comprisingan auxiliary childs seat adapted to be pivotally supported by the bowl,a cover adapted to be pivotally supported by the bowl and having arecess in its underside in which the auxiliary seat is received, a U-shaped guard rail pivoted at its free ends to the cover and adapted tonest in the recess surrounding the auxiliary seat, a deflector pivotallyconnected to the closed end of the guard rail and to, the front end ofthe auxiliary seat and adapted to nest in the recess in coplanarrelation with'the auxiliary seat and guard rail when said auxiliary seatand guard rail are received by said recess and v to. extendperpendicularly between the guard rail and auxiliary seat when theauxiliary seat is supported by the adult seat, means locking theauxiliary seat, guard rail and deflector in the recess in the cover,said cover having slots formed on its underside tangential to the recessand receiving the free ends of-the guard rail, and means pivotallymounting said ends therein.

2. A toilet seat unit for a toilet bowl having an adult seat comprising.an auxiliary child's seat adapted to be pivotally supported by the bowland having a cut away portion in the forward end thereof, a coveradapted to\ be pivotally supported by the bowl and having a recess in.its underside in which the auxiliary seat is received, a U-shaped guardrail pivoted at its free ends to the cover and adapted to nest in therecess surrounding the auxiliary seat, av deflector pivotally connectedto the closed end; of: the guard rail and to the front end of theauxiliary seat and, adapted to nest in the recess in coplanar relation.with the auxiliary seat and guard rail and to have a major portionthereof received by the cut away portion of said auxiliary seat whensaid auxiliary seat and guard rail are received by said recess and toextend perpendicularly between the guard rail and. auxiliary seat whenthe auxiliary seat is supported by the adult seat and. means locking theauxiliary seat, guard rail and deflector in the recess in the cover,said recess formed inwardly, of the periphery of the cover and beingsubstantially oval and a raised center section on the cover defined bythe recess and lying flush with the outer portions of the underside andadapted to be received within the center opening in the auxiliary seat,said center section having a. cut-out at one end to seat the lower endof the deflector.

References tIJited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber; Name Date 11,595,629, Smith Aug. 10, 1926 1,652,304 Fischer Dec.13, 1927 2,133,416 Bentz Oct. 18, 1938 2,219,643 Zaio Oct. 29, 194.02,494,813 Hughes Jan. 17, 1950 2,539,660 Dunn et al Jan. 30, 19512,584,141- Liebling Feb. 5, 1952

